Behn's bat

Behn's bat, Behn's big-eared bat, or Behn's graybeard bat (Glyphonycteris behnii) is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae found in Brazil and Peru. It is known only from six specimens so it is considered rare. It feeds on insects and small fruits. It is threatened by cerrado habitat loss for agriculture.

Behn's bat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Genus: Glyphonycteris
Species:
G. behnii
Binomial name
Glyphonycteris behnii
(Peters, 1865)
Synonyms
  • Schizostoma behnii Peters, 1865
  • Micronycteris behnii (Peters, 1865)

Taxonomy and etymology

Behn's bat was described in 1865 by German naturalist Wilhelm Peters. Peters placed it in the now-defunct genus Schizostoma with a scientific name of Schizostoma behnii.[2] The holotype was collected in Cuiabá, Brazil. In 1898, Gerrit Smith Miller reclassified it, placing it in the genus Micronycteris.[3] In 1906, Knud Andersen placed it in Glyphonycteris but spelled the species name as behni.[4] The eponym for the species name "behnii" is German zoologist Wilhelm Friedrich Georg Behn.[5]

Description

Its forearm length is 44–50 mm (1.7–2.0 in).[3] The lancet of its nose-leaf is about 1.5 times longer than it is wide.[4]

Biology and ecology

Based on the diets of closely related species, Behn's bat is likely omnivorous, consuming insects and small fruits.[3]

Range and habitat

Behn's bat is native to South America, where it is found in Brazil and Peru. In Brazil, it is found in the Cerrado.[1]

Conservation

As of 2016, it is evaluated as a data deficient species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this classification because only six individuals have ever been documented. Little is known about its population size, ecology, or potential threats. However, it is potentially threatened by habitat loss due to conversion to farmland.[1]

References
  1. Zortea, M.; Sampaio, E.; Lim, B.; Peters, S. (2016). "Glyphonycteris behnii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T13375A22130995. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T13375A22130995.en.
  2. Peters, W. (1865). "Über die zu den Vampyri gehörigen Flederthiere und über die natürliche Stellung der Gattung Antrozous". Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussische Akademie des Wissenschaften zu Berlin (in German): 505–508.
  3. Gardner, A. L. (2008). Mammals of South America, Volume 1: Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats. 1. University of Chicago Press. p. 258–259. ISBN 978-0226282428.
  4. Andersen, Knud (2009). "XIII.—On the bats of the genera Micronycteris and Glyphonycteris". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 18 (103): 50–65. doi:10.1080/00222930608562579.
  5. Beolens, B.; Watkins, M.; Grayson, M. (2009). The eponym dictionary of mammals. JHU Press. p. 35. ISBN 9780801895333.
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